


No More Black

by Oshun



Category: Alexander Trilogy - Mary Renault
Genre: Gen, Omens, Witch - Freeform, soothsayer - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:50:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4345679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oshun/pseuds/Oshun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a meme which requires that one use a randomly selected line of poetry as a prompt for a ficlet. The title of this fic is a line from the poem Conviction (iii) by Stevie Smith.</p><p>Thanks to Ignoblebard for the Beta read!</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Black

An old woman clad in rusty black hobbled up to the entrance of Alexander’s tent. She carried with her a scent of costly incense, soured before it hit one’s nostrils by the reek of unwashed clothing and rancid perspiration. She threw herself upon the ground before Hephaistion in obeisance, wailing something in Persian. Even with the small amount of serviceable vocabulary he had recently acquired, he understood not a word.

He turned to Bagoas, who lounged on a backless stool in the doorway practicing his lute, and asked, “Who is she? What does she want?”

“She demands a word with the Great King. Only the gods can guess what she wants. But all she ever brings are black omens and foul curses. She calls herself Afsaneh,” snarled Bagoas. “An unlikely and presumptuous name. We call her the Black Witch.” The boy curled up his lovely features into an ugly mask. Standing and clenching his fists, he stamped an exquisitely-sandaled foot in the dust. “Get away from here now, you old carrion crow, before I have you dragged away and flogged!”


End file.
